Now that Thanksgiving has passed, many folks are readying themselves for Christmas and thinking about where they will purchase a tree.

There are numerous tree lots and plant nurseries in the area, and most grocery stores sell trees, as well. Fraser firs are most common and are grown in the mountains, but they are not suitable for growing in the hot Eastern North Carolina conditions. Other varieties grow well here — such as Leyland cypress, red cedar, white pine, Virginia pine and Carolina sapphire — and many people like to choose and cut their own trees.

When selecting a live tree, look for green needles, Peg Goodwin, horticultural agent with Lenoir County Cooperative Extension.

“Color is important,” she said.

Another way to check freshness of the tree is to check the tips.

“(The tips) should bend, not break,” she said.

When you take your tree home, Roy Thagard, agricultural agent for Greene County Cooperative Extension, said to trim off the bottom couple of branches and slice off a small amount of the trunk.

“Cut a half-inch off the bottom of the trunk,” he said, “so the tree has new tissue to absorb water.”

Evergreens absorb from a half-gallon to a full gallon of water in the first week, Thagard said.

“So it’s very critical to keep a supply of water in the first week,” he said.

Keeping the tree well-fed with water also helps prevent dry needles and branches, which could create a potential fire hazard, Thagard said.

Goodwin said to add a couple of drops of common laundry bleach to the water to stop the growth of fungi and bacteria that prevent the tree from absorbing water.

She suggests buying early and setting the tree in a bucket of water outside until ready to bring inside to decorate.

“Most trees are cut at the same time,” she said.

Keep the tree away from drafts, sunlight and heater vents, she added.

After the holidays, the tree can be burned or stripped of its leaves, put through a mulcher and composted, Thagard said.

Some people use the trees for erosion control next to waterways. Some municipalities will pick up the old trees during regular yard pickup.

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com.

Breakout box:

Area choose and cut farms:

Nobles Tree Farm

1649 Neuse Road, Kinston

252-569-5671

Open 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 1-5:30 p.m. Sundays; or by appointment

White pines and Virginia pines, $25-$60

East of Lenoir Community College, turn left on Neuse Road, about 3 miles on the right